Attachment for motor-vehicles.



r L. P. MILLER. 7 ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1915.

1,238,173. T Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

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ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I, 1916. 7 1,238, 173. Patented Aug. 28,1917.

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LEWIS P. MILLER, OF CLINTON, MINNESOTA.

FICE.

ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Application filed September 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lewis P. MILLER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Bigstone and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Motonvehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will e11- able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates broadly to motor vehicles, more particularly to attachments therefor, and the principal object is to produce a simply constructed power means whereby farm machinery or the like may be operated by the engine of the vehicle.

An additional object is to provide a draft attachment which may be used for pulling the vehicle out of mud holes, sand or the like.

With these general objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the invention applied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof with parts in elevation;

Fig. a is a detail section showing the manner in which the device is attached to the lamp brackets of an autotmobile; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the anchoring member of a brace to be described.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, A denotes an automobile which consists of the usual frame composed of the side bars B upon which the body is mounted and which is itself supported on the running gear. An engine of ordinary construction is mounted upon the forward ends of the side bars B. The chief object of the invention is to provide an extension for the crank shaft 1 of the engine, and in carrying out t is idea the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Aug. 28, 1917.

Serial No. 118,084.

usual starting crank ratchet pin 2 on the front end of this shaft is utilized.

The attachment consists of a substantially U-shaped, or V-shaped, supporting brace 3 which has its arms 4: secured by their free ends to the side bars B of the vehicle frame, and a supplemental shaft 5 slidably and rotatably mounted in a bearing 6 which is carried by the crown of said brace 3. In the drawings I have shown the attachment applied to an automobile of the Ford type, and when used onsuch a machine, the ends of the brace 3 are secured by the lamp brackets 7. It will also be observed that before the attachment is secured in place, the usual starting crank is removed.

The bearing 6 in which the shaft 5 is slidably and rotatably mounted consists of a pair of spaced apart collars 8 which are formed or secured to the crown of the brace 3 as hereinbefore mentionel. An additional collar 9 is disposed between the spaced apart collars 8 and is connected to the outer end by a brace 10, the opposite end of the latter being secured to the usual spring yokes 12 which are used to attach the forward end of the vehicle body to the front spring. This connection between the brace 10 and the yokes 12 is accomplished by the provision of a rectangular fastening member 13, one arm of which is held by the yokes while the other arm has an opening therein to receive the threaded end of the brace 10, nuts being threaded on this reduced end on each side of said arm. The last mentioned collar 9 also preferably carries a grease cup 14 whereby the bearing 6 may be lubricated.

The inner end of the supplemental shaft 5 is provided with an ordinary starting ratchet 15 which is disposed on the inner side of the usual bearing 15 and engages the pin 2 when the engine is to be started, and also when the attachment is being operated. The opposite end of the shaft 5 also has a transverse starting pin 16 to permit a suitable crank to be applied to start the engine of the vehicle. As shown, this pin 16 is disposed beyond the bearing 6, and between this pin and said bearing a drum, or pulley 17 is fixed t the shaft 5.-

lVhen it is desired to start the engine the supplemental shaft 5 is moved inwardly un til the ends of the pin 2 engage the ratchet 15, whereupon the crank on the outer end of said shaft may be rotated, thus rotating the crank shaft 1 and reciprocating the pistons of the engine. After the engine has been started, the supplemental shaft 5 will gradually move out of engagement with the pin 2 unless positively retained in connection therewith. In order to hold the supplemental shaft 5 into engagement with the pin 5 or to quickly disengage the parts, a pair of expansion helical springs 18 and 19 are disposed around said shaft. Between the inner adjacent ends of these springs 18 and 19 is disposed an adjustable collar 20 which is provided with a set screw 21 for securing the same in any position on the shaft 5. The opposite ends of the springs, it will be noted, engage the bearing 6 and the bearing 15 respectively. In case the attachment is not to be used for any other purpose than that of starting the engine, it is advisable that the supplemental shaft be quickly disengaged from the end of the crank shaft after this has been accomplished. Therefore, the collar 20 is moved toward the bearing 15 and the spring 19 compressed, so that the latter will exert its tension to move the supplemental shaft 5 outwardly. This outward movement causes the ratchet 15 to move out of engagement with the pin 2.

When the collar is midway the distance between the bearing 6 and the bearing 15, it will be in its neutral position; in other words, the springs 18 and 19 are at the limit of their expansion when the collar is thus disposed. On the other hand, when said collar is moved toward the bar 6, the spring 18 will be compressed, and its tendency will be to force the collar and the shaft 5 inwardly, thereby holding the ratchet 15 in engagement with said pin. When the collar is adjusted to this last mentioned position, the attachment may be used for running light farm machinery or for similar purposes, a belt or the like being trained over the pulley 17.

As previously mentioned the attachment may also be used as a draft means for pulling the vehicle out of a hole or the like if it gets caught therein. The part of the device used for this purpose, in addition to those already described, consists of a transverse brace bar 92 which is disposed obliquely of the arms L and the shaft 5 and is secured to the former by bolts or the like. One end of this brace bar projects a considerable distance beyond the adjacent arm at as shown at 23, and has an eye in its outer end to receive the hook of a pulley 2%. This portion 23 is strengthened by a supplemental brace 25 which con nects the same and the adjacent arm 4. In

use a cable is fixed to and wound a few times around the drum or pulley 17 and then eX- tended through the block or pulley 24, its free end being carried ahead of the vehicle and attached to a stake or other stationary object driven in the road. Now when the engine is started, the cable will be wound around the drum, thus shortening the former and pulling the vehicle forward. The collar 20 is of course adjusted toward the bearing 6 in order to retain the supplemental shaft 5 in engagement with the shaft as when the attachment is used for running machinery.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be observed that an exceedingly simple attachment has been provided whereby an ordinary motor vehicle may be used for running various kinds of machines, and also for pulling the vehicle when it becomes impossible for the same to move under its ordinary power. The different parts of the device may be changed in. size or proportion dependent upon the kind of vehicle to which they are to be applied.

I claim:

1. The combination with a motor vehicle; of U-shaped supporting brace secured by its ends to the body of said vehicle, a bearing formed in the crown of said ti-shaped brace and com arising a pair of spaced apart collars, an additional collar disposed between the first mentioned collars, a brace secured by one end to said additional collar, its opposite end being attached to the vehicle body, a supplemental shaft, the latter being rotatable in said bearing, a separable connec tion between said supplemental shaft and the crank shaft of the vehicle motor, a drum on the end of the supplemental shaft, and means for guiding a draft cable around said drum.

2. The combination with the crank shaft of an engine; of a supporting brace, a bearing carried by said supporting brace, a supplemental shaft journaled in said bearing, means on one end of said supplemental shaft for separable engagement with said crank shaft, a drum on the other end of the supplemental shaft, and an expansion spring surrounding said supplemental shaft, and an adjustable collar on said shaft, one end of said spring contacting with said bearing and the other end with said collar, whereby said shaft will be retained in engagement with said crank shaft.

3. The combination with a motor vehicle; of a supporting brace, a bearing carried by, said supporting brace, a supplemental shaft slidably and rotatably journaled in said bearing, means on one end of said support ing shaft for separable engagement with the crank shaft of the engine of said vehicle, a drum on the end of said supplemental shaft, a pair of expansion springs surround In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ing said supplemental shaft, and an adjustmy hand in the presence of two subscribing able collar disposed between the adjacent Witnesses.

ends of said springs, said ends contacting LEWIS P. MILLER. therewith, the opposite ends oi said springs WVitnesses:

engaging the bearing and vehicle body re- CHARLES B. CHRISMAN,

spectively. J. J. FRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

